All I want for Christmas is Elmo.

Abigail loves to be outside. Here are a couple of pictures taken on one of the many cool, crisp North Carolina fall days. She is reaching for the flowers on the other side of the rail. She loves to pick them and make a sniffing noise.

Here she is pushing the walker she never used. In fact, as Justin was putting it together for her, she toddled across the room for the first time to help him. The irony of parenthood.

Her expression here is so funny. This is my "I want mama" face.

The following is Abigails first time looking through the Target toy book. She loves Elmo. She has one Elmo book, but other than that I have no idea why she is so crazy about Elmo. But, as the video will show, all she wants for Christmas is Elmo.

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Fall 2008

Yet another belated post. There is alot to update, so here we go.

Tampa:
Yes, we are headed to Tampa. After years of asking the Lord to "send us" we now know that He is sending us to Tampa, FL. There are so many ways that the Lord made this overwhelmingly clear, but here are just a few. UNITY. We prayed that the Lord would unify our hearts with Drew and Jessi (the couple we will be churh planting with) about where we would go. Originally we were looking up north and they were looking out west, so we knew it would TOTALLY be the Lord to unify us on a city. Well, He faithfully did that with Tampa. We all left our trip in August with an enthusiasim about the city and a longing to do ministry there. CHARACTERISTICS. Based on the type of church we wanted to plant, we asked the Lord to help us make a list of characteristics we would want the city we planted in to have. Some of those characteristics are diversity, growth, education, and need. Tampa met all of these. NEED. I reitterate this because this was a biggy for all of us. There is a huge need for churches in Tampa. In the "city" of Tampa, there are over 400,000 people and no like-minded churches. There is also a great oppertunity for Justin and Drew to start a church planting network for future church planters to have help and guidence as they begin a new work in the area. (Most large cities already have a network of church planters for new pastors to help with the start of their ministry. Tampa is the only one that we were praying about that didn't.)

Abigail:
Abigail is no longer my baby girl - she is my little girl! She is walking. She is talking. It totally blows my mind. She has about 20-25 "words" that she uses regularly. When I say words I don't mean fully constructed words. Some of them are partial, but many are fully annuciated. Some of my favorites are "Annie" (her Raggedy Ann doll), "Sasha" (our landlord's dog), "egg" (which comes out "gee"), "Yeah!", "NO!", "cracker" and "oatmeal." She is walking all over the place. In fact, we are almost running at this point. She favorite thing to do is to go see the dogs. She wakes up some mornings asking for "Sasha." She has a precious sense of humor. Like her daddy, she can be quite the show off. She is so much fun these days.

Justin & I:
Justin just finished a crazy week of finishing our support letters and preparation for preaching today at our church. (If you would like to listen to the sermon, you can go to http://www.northwake.com/) He was a faithful servant today. It was so great for me to see him use the gifts that the Lord has so graciously given him. Other than that we are just preparing in so many ways to move to Tampa in the early summer. With that in mind, I have been soaking up every moment of the beautiful fall weather we have had lately. We just returned from a week in the NC mountains. We were blessed with the oppertunity to go while the fall foliage was at it's peak - it was BEAUTIFUL! You can't help but stand in awe of our magnificent Creator when you look out over a mountainous landscape of red, orange, brown and green. We had a blast.

Finally, here are a few of the tons of pictures I had to choose from over the past couple of months. ENJOY!

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Our latest family photos.

We're back.

We are back in the blogging world. But, get ready – this is going to be a long one.

A lot has happened in the last month and a half since my last post. First, we took our annual vacation to Destin, FL. It was Abigail’s first time at the beach. It was so fun to watch her take it all in. She was a little hesitant at first, but eventually she had a blast playing in the sand and floating in the water. Because my dad recently started a new job, he was unable to come with us. With my dad not there and the addition of Abigail, our trip looked very different – we still had a great time with my mom. Abigail got some great Mimi time, and a cute little tan line. Every year we leave counting the days until our next trip to Destin, and this year was no different.

Second, Abigail turned one! That’s right our baby is now a little girl. Wow, how time flies. We had the privilege of hosting Justin’s mom, dad and grandmother – they came from Tennessee to enjoy the festivities. To be honest, I don’t know if we would have pulled it off without them. They were a tremendous help with Abigail while Justin and I prepared for the party. Abigail was a little timid the day of the party. She has a tendency to be shy around big crowds and new people. But, she eventually warmed up. I think the balloons were her favorite part of the whole day. She was less than enthusiastic opening her gifts. She had a small loot, so I would imagine she was overwhelmed. And, as for the cake, she went face first. Yes, that’s right. She didn’t use her hands, she just face planted into the icing over and over. When we showed her that she could use her hands, she didn’t like the sticky icing. Shortly after that she was finished with it. It made for a good laugh at least, and lots of good pictures. Oh, and to top off the day, Abigail had the rare opportunity to be serenaded by our landlord, Indrek, with his rendition of “Happy Birthday” using his nose horn.

The day after Justin’s family returned to Tennessee, Abigail and I started the day with our usual morning walk while Justin slept in. A day that started so routinely quickly changed to after a frightening phone call notifying us that my dad had been in a serious car accident. That is one of those phone calls that you always fear. It was especially hard being twelve hours away and having to wait on a phone call to hear the latest update. But, the Lord was faithful to comfort me with His presence. We arrived in Memphis early Thursday morning to see my dad for the first time. It was so hard to see the strongest man I know lying there is tremendous pain. I was thankful that despite the ventilator, he acknowledged my presence my mouthing “I love you.” Even recalling the moment I saw him for the first time, it has been amazing to watch the Lord heal his body. Here is an email that I sent from Memphis a couple days into my dad’s recovery.

I want to begin by thanking each one of you for your thoughts and prayers for my family. The Lord has been so gracious to us through His people during this difficult time. Words will never be enough to express my gratitude.

As most of you know, my dad was involved in a serious car accident last Wednesday. He was traveling to work when a car came across the median going more than 70 miles per hour and hit him on the drivers side. The first few hours after the accident were really touch and go. He had a bruised heart, so they had to shock him three times at the scene. The impact broke his shoulder, cracked his rib-cage, broke a rib, punctured his lungs, and severely damaged his spleen and kidney. It truly is the Lord's mercy that sustained his life. Over the past six days, my family and I have watched as the Lord has answered one prayer after another. Here are a few ways the Lord has humbled us by hearing the prayers of His saints:

1. The Lord protected the life of my dad and the girl in the other vehicle.

2. Despite every doctor and nurse saying that my dad's kidney was shattered and needed to be removed, the Lord allowed the kidney to continue functioning and stopped the internal bleeding without having to remove it.

3. The Lord provided a place for Justin, Abigail and I to stay 3 miles from the hospital. Our friends, Daniel and Katie Banks, opened there home to us and offered to watch Abigail so that we could make every visitation. Even better - they have a little girl two months older than Abigail. Praise the Lord for great friends that are willing to drop everything to love us with their hospitality and service.

4. The Lord provided the money to cover the cost of Justin and I's rental car through our church here in Memphis.

5. The Lord has healed my dad's body so quickly that it has not only amazed my family, but also the doctor's and nurses.

6. The Lord has been faithful to surround us with His presence and provided us with His peace.

I have clung to the Lord through prayer in a way that I have never done before in my life. By God's grace, through it all my heart has resonated with the hymn writer Thomas Chisholm.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Amazingly, my dad was moved to a regular patient room tonight. He is tired and sore, but thankful and hopeful. Again, we appreciate all of your love and support.

Since that email there have been even more reasons to praise the Lord! Here are a few.
- My dad was moved from the Trauma unit less than a week after his accident. Much sooner that the doctor’s and nurses expected. Additionally, he was able to go home only a few days later. Originally the doctor’s said that the soonest he would be able to go home would be two weeks after the accident. Due to his progress, my dad was able to go home a week and a half after the accident.
- The Lord has made Himself known to me and my family in a new way.
- The faithfulness of the body of Christ to weep when we wept and to rejoice when we rejoiced.
- The faithfulness of the body of Christ to pray. The Lord is faithful to hear the prayers of His saints – we have seen the prayers of His people answered in the life of my dad.
- Because of the Lords provision, Justin, Abigail and I were able to spend a week in Memphis while my dad recovered in the hospital.

The Lord has been so good. This has been yet another reminder of the frailty of life. Each day is truly a gift from God – not to be taken for granted. We are so grateful for my dad’s recovery. But, we know that saving my dad’s life two weeks ago isn’t the greatest thing that He has ever done for him. The greatest thing he has ever done for him was bear his sin on the cross over 2000 years ago. My praise to the Lord would be lacking if I didn’t lift my hands in worship for the sacrifice He made that saves us from the wrath of God and gives us eternal life. What a magnificent God we serve!

Finally, we leave in a week for Tampa, FL. We would covet your prayers. We are asking that the Lord would unify our hearts about whether or not this would be the place we would plant His church, use this trip to burden our hearts for the city of Tampa, give us clear direction about which community in Tampa we would become a part of and begin our ministry, and that we would make great connections with fellow churches in the area. Be looking for an update soon.

Abigail.

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Abigail is almost a year old. I can't believe it! Here are some of the latest pictures of our precious little girl.

The Seminary Graduate.

This blog is long overdue. I apologize. As many of you know, Justin is now a seminary graduate. Most of you would agree that this is an outstanding accomplishment, but as his wife, I have seen the countless hours of reading, writing and studying that has brought this day to fruition. To say that I am proud is an understatement. In addition to graduating, Justin was selected to receive an award. He was given the Gary Galeoti award for Spiritual Leadership. This award is given to a senior who has excelled as both a student and a leader. I know that this was a humbling honor for Justin to receive, but one that I would say is well deserved.

Seminary has been a very sweet and fruitful season. It has been amazing to watch the Lord rekindle Justin's love for learning. He started seminary almost four years after graduating from Union. At the time, I know he felt anxious and inadequate. With a degree in hand, I think he would say he feels the same way as we look towards our future ministry. However, the Lord has been gracious to give Justin the perseverance and discipline required to complete seminary. We know He will be faithful to do the same as we anticipate all that awaits us from here.

Justin receiving his award from Dr. Nelson the Vice President of Southeastern.

My mom and dad flew in for the occasion. Justin's parents weren't able to come because his youngest sister, Stephanie, graduated from high school the day before. Yes, that makes Justin her OLD(er) brother. Congrats Steph!

My Nana was here to celebrate Justin's accomplishment too!

Many of you have heard about Drew and Jessi, the couple we will be church planting with in the next year. Well, here they are! Drew graduated the same day that Justin did with his Master of Arts in Ethics. Congrats Drew! We love you guys.

Enjoy...

Family & Fun

This week Abigail and I are in Memphis visiting family and friends while Justin is in Philly for a class. Here are a few pictures from our trip so far. Abigail with Granddaddy. Justin's dad, grandmother and her husband, Tommy came to visit on Tuesday.
Abigail, Granddaddy, Great Grandmother, and Great Tommy.
Abigail and Nana. Justin's mom and sister, Stephanie, came to visit on Wednesday.
Abigail and Aunt Stephanie.
Abigail has been grinding her teeth. Now, she makes the funniest face when she smiles.

The latest.

Great news - we are on the mend at the Perry's house. For the first time in three weeks, we are all well. Abigail is feeling much better. Last week's cold is now a faint memory. She got her third tooth this week, and is working on a fourth. I must admit she is a trooper. I have heard horror stories about teething, and thus far it has been fairly uneventful. She is so curious these days. So much so that it is difficult to get her to eat or sleep for very long. There is WAY too much to see and do. But, she is also a lot of fun. She loves to smile and laugh. On Friday, we all went to the Raleigh farmer's market to get some fresh, locally grown produce. It was beautiful outside, so we all got out our short sleeves and sandals. (We could all use a little sun.) These are a few of the pictures we got of Abigail in our front yard before we left.


Abigail loves hats - can you tell? Justin has six weeks of class left in the semester. I can't believe that in six weeks he will be finished with seminary. It really has gone by so fast. We are still in the midst of praying about what the future holds after seminary. The Lord is really challenging our hearts with the question, "Will you really go anywhere I ask?" We would covet your prayers in this area. We want to unreservedly say, "YES." But, if we are honest there are places we have deemed either "too far" or "not far enough." Justin will be taking a trip over Spring Break to visit a city, and shadow a church planter. Right now, it looks like he is headed to Philidelphia. While Justin is gone, Abigail and I are going to Tennessee to visit family and friends. Here are a few shots of Justin and Abigail that I love.

Happy Easter

He is risen. He is risen indeed! This is the great news we were greeted with this morning at North Wake's Easter worship service. And what great news it is. Today we celebrated Abigail's first Easter. I look forward to when Abigail is old enough to explain what is so amazing about the Easter holiday. But, this year, she knew something was different because she had a pretty new dress to wear to North Wake. (By the way, who instituted the "Easter Dress?") Because Justin had to work, we rushed home to have lunch and get a quick afternoon nap before he had to leave. Abigail and I spent the rest of the day with a dear friend, Jessi Tucker. I must admit, holidays make me a little homesick. But, it was so wonderful to spend Easter with a with our local church, my wonderful husband, our precious little girl, and a great friend. Here are a few pictures from the day.

This week...

This week couldn't have looked more different than we expected. Justin is out of school on Easter break, and we had a list of family activites that we wanted to do each day. Tuesday night Abigail got the sniffles, and by Wednesday morning it was a full-fledged cold. (It amazes me how quickly little ones get sick.) By Thursday afternoon, Abigail had a temperature of 102 degrees. After a trip to the doctor, we discovered that she has an ear infection in her left ear. She has been the most miserable I have ever seen her. But, the good news is, she is on the mend. On the other hand, the bad news is we have been on quarentine all week, and didn't get to do one of the things on our list. "Plan B" has been to watch the NCAA basketball tournament. Justin wasn't too disappointed with "plan B." So, in the spirit of March Madness, we all filled out tournament brackets. Yes, even Abigail filled out a bracket. We gave her two toys to choose from, one representing the higher ranked team and the other representing the lower ranked team. Apparently she likes to root for the underdog. In the process of filling out her bracket, we came to the conclusion that Abigail just might be left handed. The winner of the bracket contest wins a new DVD. Let's hope I take the prize. I can only handle so many sports drama's and war movies.
Despite the cold, we have been trying to teach Abigail to wave and clap. The following video is the results of our efforts. (We could be in trouble is this is the outcome of our parenting.)



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Abigail's First Tooth.

Abigail has gotten her first tooth. Unlike most babies, her first tooth came in on the top. Here are a few pictures taken to capture the first of Abigail's pearly whites.

A day in the life of Abigail.

Well...we have been in a blogger's delimma. At the end of January our camera died on us. It is hard enough to be cameraless as parents, but even harder when your a blogging parent. So, after much research, and the Lord's faithful provision for even the "wants" in our life, we have a new camera. I will save the long update for later. I wanted to at least post some of the pictures I took of Abigail today. She melts my heart!